Fruit box of basket.



No. 734,721. PATENTED 'JULY28, 1903;

H. 0. LITTLE. FRUIT BOX 0R BASKET.

ABPLIGATIO N FILED NOV. 20, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Wffitesses:

QmpJ QSL Patented July 28, 1903.

PATENT FFICE.

HENRY O. LITTLE,OF BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FRUIT BOX OR BASKET.

SEEGIFIOA'FION forming' part of Letters Patent N 0. 734,721, dated July 28, 1903. Application filed November 20,1902. Serial No. 132,057. (No model.)

To ctl whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY O. LITTLE, of. Bridgewater, in the county ot Plymouth and;

State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new andnseful Improvements in Fruit Boxes or Baskets, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates mainly to cheap wooden boxes or baskets, such as are used to contain fruit; and it has for its object to pro- Fig. 4 represents a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a View of the handle detached. Fig. 6 represents a View similar to Fig. 4, showing the handle depressed below its operative position during the operation of engaging with the box or basket..

The same characters of reference indicate the same parts in allthe figures.

In the drawings, or represents a box or basket of a common and well-known construction, the same comprising in the embodiment of my invention here shown a body portion 2, composed of thin flexible stripsor veneers of wood, a relatively thick and rigid bottom 3, to which the lower edges of the body portion 2 are secured by tacks or nails driven through a confining-stri p 4 and through the lower edge of the body portion into the bottom and outer and inner reinforcing strips 5 6, tacked or otherwise secured to the upper edge of the body portion 2.

19 represents the handle, which is substantially U-shaped, .and is made, preferably, of"

wood, the handle being ofresilient construction, so that its side pieces are adapted to be sprung inwardly.

In carrying out 'myinvention I provide the sides of the box or basket, at the upper portion thereof, with outwardly-projectin g headed studs 7 7, the heads of which are separated from the outersurface of the box or basket by a space equal to the thicknesss of the handle 1). Further, I provide the handle with keyhole-shaped slots 8, the larger upper ends handle upwardly to cause the narrower lowerends of the slots to engage and bear on the tongues of the studs. I also provide the box or basket with means below the studs 7 for engag ing the end portions of the handle in such manner as to prevent the handle from swinging or tipping on the studs 7 and from being accidentally moved downwardly after its engagement with said studs in such manner as to be disengaged therefrom. As here shown, said means are as follows: In the edge portions of the bottom 3 are formed recesses 9, which are located below the studs 7. The side portions of'the flexible body 2 of the box or basket are provided with vertical slits 10 10, which convert the portions of the body between them into flexible tongues 12. These tongues coincide with the recesses 9, so that while the tongues normally bear against the confiningstrip 4, as shown in Fig. 4, they are enabled by the recesses 9 to spring inwardly and be separated from the confining-strip 4, as shown in Fig. 2 and by dotted lines in Fig. 4. The.

end portions of the handle are reduced in width to form relatively thin tongues 13, at the upper ends of which are shoulders 14 on the outer surfaces of said end portions. The tongues 13 are adapted to be inserted between the confining-strip 4 and the tongues 12 of the box-body, the depth of the recess 9 being sufiicient to permit the inward displacement of .the tongues 12 not only fareno ugh to. permit the insertion of the tongues 13, but also to permit the shoulders 14 to descend below the upper edge of the confiningstrip 4,

as indicated in Fig. 6. In engaging the handle with the box or basket the end portions of the handle are inserted between the confining-strip 4and the body-tongues 12 until the wardly to the position shown in Fig. 6, and' accidental downward movement of the banthe studs.

outwardly to disengage their slots from the studs 7. .several movements of the handle and is one permit the inwarddisplacement of the parts .of the body which they compose, thus per- .against movement in any direction when the shoulders 14 of the handle are below the upper edge of the confining-strip 4, as shown in Fig. 6. WVhen the handle is in the position shown in Fig. 6, the larger ends of the slots-8 coincide with the heads of the studs 7, so that the sides of the handle may be forced inwardly until the studs project through the larger end of the slots. The handle is then moved upwardly far enough to cause the narrower lower ends of the slots to bear on the studs, this movement also bringing the shoulders 14 of the handle above the confiningstrip 4, so that the resilience of the handle causes its side portions to spring outwardly, and thus engage the shoulders 14 with the upper edge of the confining-strip 4 to prevent dle, said stripconstitntingan abutmentwhich opposes downward movement of the shoulders 14.

It will be seen that the handle is now firmly engaged with the box or basket,'so that it cannot move either upwardly or downwardly and, further, so that it cannot be tipped on In order to remove the handle,'it is necessary to spring the sides of the handle inwardly until the shoulders 14 clear the confining-strip 4, then push the handle downthen spring the upper portions of the sides This is an operation which requires which is not liable to be accidentally caused. It will be seen that the body-tongues 12 mitting the described engagement of the end portions of the handle with the confiningstrip 4. 'lheinwardly-movable body-tongues 12 and the corresponding portions of the confining-strip 4 constitute the sides of openings adapted to receive the end portions of the handle. It will also be seen that the box and handle have provisions for locking the handle handle has been moved upwardly sufficiently to bring the lower ends of the slots 8 to a bearing on the studs 7.

I claim 1. A fruit box or basket having headed studs on its sides, combined with a U-shaped handle having-slots formed to engage said studs, said box and handle having interlocking parts relatively arranged to prevent downward swinging movements of the handle on said studs when the lower ends of the slots bear on the studs, said parts being separable to permit downward movement of the handle.

2. A fruit box or basket having headed studs on its sides and abntments below said studs combined with a U-shaped resilient handle having slots formed to engage said studs and shoulders formed to engage said abutments when the lower ends of the slots come to a bearing on the studs.

3. A fruit box or basket having headed studs on its sides and handle end receiving openings in its bottom portion, combined with a resilient U-shaped handlehaving slots formed to engage said studs and end portions .formed to engage the outer walls of said openings.

4. A fruit box or basket comprising a rigid bottom, a flexible body and an external confining-strip at the lower edge of the body, said box or basket having headed studs on its sides, recesses in the edges of its bottom below said studs, slits formed in the flexible body, said slits forming tongues which are separable from said confining-strip and are adapted to spring into said recesses, combined with a resilient U shaped handle having slots formed to engage said studs, and end portions formed for insertion between said tongues and confining-strip, said end portions having shoulders adapted to engage the upper edges of the confining-strip.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY O. LITTLE.

\Vitnesses:

FLORENCE PROUSE, JNo. B. JACKSON. 

